The Legend of Lorule: A Link Between Ages
by Alley Cat Sunflower
Summary: 20 years post-ALBW: Hilda's daughter Zelda wants to protect the Triforce at any cost—even if that means releasing Vaati. But when she and her twin brother Link are drawn into a war waged across time, enemies become allies, and they realize that nothing Lorule has faced before compares to the dark events to come… unless they can change their future. I don't own LoZ or the cover art!
1. The Shrine of the Picori Blade

_*taps microphone* Hello? Empty room? This is Alley Cat Sunflower, bringing you yet another attempt at a multi-chapter story, which_ _—Hylia willing_ _—I will NOT completely abandon this time. However, since I'm 0 for 5 with finishing multi-chapter stories and my inspiration is flighty to begin with, you should expect an irregular posting schedule and frequent hiatuses.  
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 _Also, a note about the genre: I put it in "Adventure" for the sake of convenience, since this is a story about an adventure, even though it probably won't be very action-y most of the time. However, this will realistically encompass a lot more than that_ _—most notably Humor. However, I can't in good conscience put Humor as a primary category, because it mostly involves funny moments in a darker sort of plot._

 _Oh, I suppose I should also explain that I treat Lorule as alternate-universe Hyrule, meaning that every event that wasn't based on the Triforce's existence still occurred. For instance, since Vaati's rise to power ultimately had nothing to do with the Triforce, he is present in the timeline. However, the incarnations of the Goddess, the Hero, and Ganon never manifested, because they were all closely involved with the Triforce._

 _If any of you are still reading after that admittedly daunting set of warnings and explanations, I hope I don't let you down! So, without further ado, here's the first installment of a hopefully epic saga…_

* * *

"Zel… I'm _really_ not sure this is a good idea."

Link had never been especially eloquent, but this specific statement was even more clumsily spoken than usual. It seemed as though his tentative remark practically _stumbled_ through the air towards Zelda's irritated ears, shattering several minutes' worth of priceless silence. Struggling not to roll her eyes, the princess pursed her lips and marched resolutely forward. The longer she could ignore her brother, the better.

It would have been _so_ much easier just to leave him in the castle—except, Zelda supposed, then she'd be short one Master Sword; she needed it to ensure her success, and it wasn't as though she could just borrow it for the day. After all, the myths all told her in no uncertain terms that only the one with the spirit of the hero would be able to wield it. The divine blade would feed on the energy of anyone less worthy, to the point of exhaustion… or worse.

For all her lifelong love of legends, Zelda had initially had some difficulty believing that her twin brother was a chosen hero, while she was only a princess—but that was before she tried to take the sword for herself all those years ago. She had felt little fear as she lay helplessly on the chapel floor, all her limited strength depleted; she remembered only a burning curiosity, a thirst for knowledge: if _that_ tale was true, then what about all the others…?

Link cleared his throat, and Zelda sighed heavily; the silent treatment evidently had no pacifying effect on Link's needless concern. "You worry too much," she told him, looking back at him briefly: he inherited altogether too much of their father's personality.

"No, I worry exactly the right amount," he countered with surprising immediacy, and Zelda frowned slightly. When was the last time Link had picked a fight with her? (A non-physical fight, she amended, suppressing a smile as she recalled with some pleasure her overwhelming triumph during their training session last week.)

"The seal has been weakening for centuries," Zelda pointed out matter-of-factly, paraphrasing the thorough notes she'd left in her bedroom. If she had known Link would object so strongly, she might have considered making him read them. "By releasing him voluntarily this time instead of letting him break out on his own, we at least have a fighting chance of doing some damage control."

"But Zel, once he's awake—well, you've _heard_ how he gets," insisted Link, and she glanced over her shoulder once more to find his eyes wide. Fear made her brother look much younger, she observed fleetingly; he didn't look anything like a hero should, divinely given sword notwithstanding. "It's not like we have the power to stop him if he doesn't cooperate."

"Your Master Sword and my Light Arrows say otherwise," smiled Zelda reminiscently. On the few occasions when they worked together, they made a truly formidable team; really, it was too bad they had so little cause to do so in everyday life. But then, she reminded herself with somewhat guilty glee, _that_ may well change today.

"Even so, I don't like this," persisted Link, and Zelda narrowed her eyes. If his added support meant listening to his whining the whole way to the shrine, she'd honestly rather perish at the hands of the wind mage. "At _all_ ," added Link emphatically, as though she had somehow missed his all-too-clear feelings on the matter.

Zelda stopped short, smirking as Link crashed into her with a startled exclamation; she graciously allowed her brother a moment to recover before she turned to face him. "Then go back to the castle," she commanded as evenly as possible, crossing her arms and looking him in the eye—daring him to obey.

There was a pause, during which Link visibly wavered, ruffling his already untidy purple hair and awkwardly readjusting the scabbard on his back. He may have had the advantage of height by a few inches, but fortunately for Zelda, this never seemed to afford him much confidence in a confrontation.

Sure enough, he dropped his gaze in a gesture of submission before too long, though his deep red eyes were narrowed in displeasure. "You're my _sister_ ," decided Link eventually, and Zelda relaxed slightly as she recognized her latest victory. "I can't just leave you."

"Okay, then stop complaining," ordered Zelda, turning around again and marching forward once more. Her brother no longer had any reason to protest; she had offered him the chance to turn back, and he had refused to take it. Now he was tagging along of his own volition.

"I'll complain as much as I want," muttered Link, and though Zelda had her doubts about whether she was supposed to hear him, she felt her limited patience unraveling. "You're trying to resurrect a demon!"

Zelda narrowed her eyes, glaring at nothing. Hadn't he listened to her plan at _all_? She wasn't about to bring back the most notorious mage in history for her own amusement, thank you very much! Waking him was only necessary because he happened to be in possession of the only artifact which could grant her the power necessary to protect the Triforce: the Mage's Cap.

"I told you about this idea when we were thirteen years old, Link," snapped Zelda, clenching her fists and kicking a small rock out of the way frustratedly. And besides, she added to herself sourly, a wind mage—however monstrous—hardly qualified as a demon. "Why are you only nagging me about it _now_?"

"I… didn't think you were actually going to go through with it," confessed Link, sounding vaguely ashamed—but there was an unusually accusatory edge to his voice, and his countenance had darkened: the storm was about to break.

"So you thought I was joking for five whole years," she clarified, shaking her head disbelievingly. Link was far sharper than most other people she'd met, and he knew her better than anyone else. He usually recognized her feelings even before shewas aware of them herself; it was _impossible_ that he should fail to recognize genuine determination.

Link gave a light, barely audible sigh that sounded a bit more like a growl. "Not really, but I figured you'd be smarter about it than this," he mumbled. Zelda's eyes widened at his sullen words; how could he say such a thing? After all those years of careful studying—after all those investigations to discern truth from myth—how dare he imply that she was unprepared!

"And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?" she exclaimed furiously, clenching her fists and whirling around to face her brother once more, brushing dark hair out of her face. "I've done my research on his strengths and weaknesses, as well as ours! I've even beaten you in training!" She took an indignant step towards Link; he eyed her warily, but stood his ground.

"Yeah, but you're still purposely unleashing Lorule's most powerful enemy, just so you can take his _hat_ ," countered her brother, scowling at her for the first time. Clearly, Zelda had struck a nerve by mentioning their sparring sessions.

"It's necessary," she defended, glaring back at him as she crossed her arms. The Triforce was all too easy to access; she and Link had been able to sneak in to see it many times before. It was true that the world healed faster for as long as the path between planes remained open, but wouldn't it be so much safer if it was sealed…?

"It isn't!" retorted Link, and their red eyes locked for a moment. "Look, if you're _so_ intent on saving the Triforce, why don't you just use its wish to seal off the Sacred Realm, or whatever? That way, you won't have to release any demons, and the world will be safe." He rolled his eyes, gesticulating upwards with unusual vehemence. "There! Problem solved. Can we go home now?"

"You think using the Triforce wasn't the _first_ thing I considered?" retorted Zelda. "They say you have to have a balanced heart to make a wish, or it'll break apart. I don't know if my heart is balanced, but… I'm not about to find out the hard way." Judging from the way Link was acting, she had clearly made the right decision: if her own brother, the chosen hero of the heavens, saw her as unstable, then it was highly unlikely the Triforce's opinion would be any different.

"As dangerous as it is to keep the complete Triforce at our fingertips," continued Zelda eventually, turning around and stalking resolutely onward with renewed vigor, "it's probably even riskier to split it up."

"But there's no need to take matters into your own hands like this!" responded Link heatedly. "Why don't you trust Mother and Father to make the right decision? If they decide to seal the Triforce, they're going to wait until Lorule is more fully healed. Their choice should be good enough for you."

"But our enemies won't just wait for Lorule to regain its glory," insisted Zelda, exasperation growing. How could her parents turn a blind eye to the Triforce's vulnerability for all the years it would take for Lorule to heal? Had they learned nothing from the bloody past? Peace could not reign for long amidst such temptation.

" _What_ enemies?" shot back Link scornfully.

"Look," she responded, glowering, "the Master Sword would have ignored you if you weren't supposed to use it someday. But instead, you've been marked as a hero, which means Lorule isn't safe. _We're_ not safe."

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Link, but there was too much spite in his voice for his words to be genuine. "Probably because you're about to release a demon! And," he added, raising his voice to cut Zelda off as she opened her mouth—" _and_ , Lorule is literally the only country on the map right now, so don't start talking to me about enemies."

"You don't need to be part of a country to be an enemy," muttered Zelda, casting suspicious glances around at the trees as though they might be listening in—bright summer leaves whispering conspiratorially amongst themselves with the breath of the breeze.

"Hylia, you're paranoid," sighed Link, shaking his head, but he seemed to be trying not to smile. He didn't believe her, then, just like the rest of the court: her frustration protected her from succumbing to her usual sisterly love at the barely detectable note of affection in his voice.

" _Hylia_ doesn't exist," snorted Zelda, crossing her arms. That was the only myth she flatly refused to believe, because there was absolutely no proof. The whole half-forgotten religion was probably just a series of fables, meant to suppress rebellion by explaining why the Lorulean royal family had the divine right to rule.

"And cynical," scolded Link, by now smiling outright—clearly hoping to change her mind through a different, gentler tactic. One might catch more flies with honey, but Princess Zelda of Lorule was by _no_ means a mere fly. "That's not a very good combination for the crown princess."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. Ordinarily, playing that card worked wonders… but not today. Today, she wouldn't have to be ladylike to be the perfect princess; saving the kingdom required a different skillset altogether—including a ready willingness to doubt the information she was given. "Or maybe it is," she retorted, "and you're just soft."

"I just… don't understand why you think we have so many enemies," said Link quietly after a pause, abandoning his attempt at winning her over with humor. The rustling of the leaves in a stronger breeze almost drowned out his words; there was a somewhat uneasy silence as they glanced up at the trees above.

"The Triforce has the power to grant any wish, and if Mother and Father aren't going to use it, then someone else will," sighed Zelda, making an effort not to raise her voice this time; force wasn't getting her anywhere. "It's only logical."

Her brother chuckled as she followed a fork in the road. "Zel, the Triforce has been here twenty years, and no one's even tried."

Oh, that was _it_. No one laughed at Zelda's ideas. "Don't you understand?" she demanded passionately, fists clenched. "There can be no true peace while such great power remains in our hands! As soon as they think Lorule can function without it, even our own people could turn against us." There was a heavy silence, but for the rustle of the leaves. "It'll be the Eldest War all over again."

"I… suppose I see your point," began Link tentatively, sounding somewhat grudging, "but I still think you're being reckless." He sighed as they trudged steadily upwards. "This isn't like you."

"It isn't?" asked Zelda, stopping short at the top of the slope to catch her breath, and raised her eyebrows as she turned towards Link. "I was always under the impression that I was a rebellious troublemaker."

"Well, not in public," he conceded, and the corner of Zelda's mouth tugged up despite herself. "But your risks are usually a _lot_ more calculated than this." He shifted in place uncomfortably, glancing from side to side before continuing slowly, "I just don't think you understand the situation you're getting into well enough to make a wise decision."

"And I suppose you'll tell me you know better than I do?" challenged Zelda, turning to follow the path once more.

"Of course not," replied Link, sounding surprised. "But frankly, it scares me that you're willing to disrupt this precarious balance and endanger the entire world… for the sake of a hat." He paused, and she felt his fiery eyes scorch the back of her head. "Which, by the way, _still_ isn't necessary."

"Link, even if I took your advice and backed down, the fact remains that the seal is only getting weaker," pointed out Zelda wearily. "He'll break it himself someday—probably soon. It's an inevitability." She rallied her determination, following the winding path still farther up the hill. "I'm just going to make it happen on _my_ terms instead of his."

"Why can't we just strengthen the seal?" asked Link desperately, striding forward to walk alongside her; Zelda fixed her gaze straight ahead of her, refusing to give in to her brother's questioning stare.

"This seal is unique, so it can't be repaired by normal means," she explained, her voice shaking slightly with her upward footsteps. "The Shrine Maidens gave their lives to keep him locked away for a century apiece."

"So I assume that means the only real way to fix it is to sacrifice yourself too?" returned Link, his eyes widening.

"I haven't found a definitive answer, but that seems likely," answered Zelda dispassionately. "Besides, if we prolong his captivity, then I won't be able to get his cap," she added, shielding her eyes briefly from the afternoon sun. "Then the Triforce will remain vulnerable, and he'll be able to get it still _more_ easily when he returns."

"I still don't understand why you think bringing back the greatest potential threat to the Triforce is going to help you protect it," snapped Link, patience finally breaking.

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase ' _The ends justify the means_ '?" countered Zelda, rounding another corner and privately thanking whatever higher powers there might have been that she had been born first. If Link was crown prince, he'd never be able to live up to the expectations of a ruler the way _she_ could.

Link groaned, raising a hand lightly to his forehead. "Zel," he began, "you're beginning to sound like a villain."

Zelda grimaced at the implications; she never wanted to hear her name and 'villain' in the same sentence again. If anything, she was more of a hero than her brother; how much of a divine champion could he be if he never tried to save the world? " _Please_ , Link; you're my brother," she sighed, finally using the magic word. "Trust shouldn't be too much to ask of you."

"I'd trust you more if I loved you less," murmured Link simply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Zelda, finally coming to a stop to catch her breath, and searched her brother's face carefully. His countenance was not at all angry, but rather full of fierce affection and worry in equal measure. (Perhaps he did look a little like a hero after all.)

Link let out a long exhalation through his teeth, his eyes fixed intently on a point somewhere behind Zelda. "If I didn't feel so responsible for your safety, it would affect me less if something went wrong," he explained hesitantly, "so—I might be more willing to believe that everything will turn out all right."

"You're so weird," remarked Zelda when he said nothing more, and marched resolutely forward once again: Link did not immediately follow. Based on her solo expedition into the forest a few weeks ago, they had only a few more turns to take before they finally arrived at their destination.

"What if he takes you away?" demanded Link, hustling indignantly after her. "What if I never see you again?"

"Then I guess I'll be the queen of demons," joked Zelda, a smile playing on her lips as she quickened her pace, turning the final corner. "There are worse fates." There it was, humming with ancient magical energy—the shrine!

Link grasped her wrist suddenly, pulling her backwards and spinning her around to face him. As she stared up into his burning eyes, she was reminded that her brother may have been shy and meek most of the time, but he was undeniably strong despite his submissiveness. " _Seriously_ , Zel," he told her, looking her intently in the eye as he squeezed her shoulders.

Zelda pursed her lips, glancing away; Round Two went to Link, then. "Then I'll send you a telepathic message about my situation as soon as possible," she decided, "and we'll strategize from there. But," she added, brushing his hands away and stepping back, "that's not going to be necessary."

"If you say so," muttered Link, glancing apprehensively up at the crumbling stone archway that marked the Shrine of the Picori Blade. His every muscle seemed rigid; his hand gripping the hilt of the Master Sword, he stepped forward as gingerly as if the ground would drop away beneath his feet.

"Don't _worry_ so much," she chided, coming to a halt in front of the sword itself, sheathed in stone. So this was the infamous wind mage, sealed in his own broken blade—soon to be released.

"You'll see," smiled Zelda, resting her hand on the pommel. "Everything will turn out fine."

* * *

 _Gee, I wonder who they're conspiring to release? I guess we'll officially find out next chapter, now that basic characterization and dynamics have been explored a bit. Then we can get to the adventure-y part!  
_

 _By the way, thank you so much for reading. Feedback is greatly appreciated!_


	2. Shadows and Shapes

Okay, so maybe it was something of a risk to send a telepathic message directly into the soul of an extremely powerful sorcerer—but in all fairness, it would be even more dangerous to draw his sword without even trying to contact him first. With any luck, Zelda would be able to get some sort of leverage against him.

She shivered as an icy wind wrapped suddenly around her shoulders, hissing like a sharp inhalation. Opening her eyes cautiously, Zelda realized that though her own ghostly form glowed with a faint light, the darkness all around her was utterly impenetrable. Trembling slightly, she hugged her arms instinctively closer to herself to keep warm. So _this_ was Vaati's consciousness…

"Who dares cast such forceful light into these ancient shadows?" Zelda jumped as a deep and powerful—yet somehow distorted—voice surrounded her. The sorcerer's presence stirred around her, and eyes seemed to burn into her from all directions, but she swallowed her sudden fear and looked up, unsure where else to turn her blind gaze.

"I am Princess Zelda of Lorule," she announced, as steadily as possible—not very. Most souls shone white, or misty gray, but they were never so dark that she could not see. Her own light did not travel far enough for her to tell whether anything else existed in this emptiness, but she could still sense the shadows swirling as if in surprise.

"Why have you entered my sanctuary, _Princess_?" asked Vaati's voice, accompanied by another cold current. Whether her eyes were adjusting to the darkness or not, Zelda couldn't tell—but she thought the blackness lightened a little at the mention of her title, revealing inky clouds like a storm in the night.

"I seek the Mage's Cap," replied Zelda uncertainly; the end of her statement turned up slightly, as if it had wanted to be a question, and she cursed herself for the slip-up. If she didn't assert herself now, she had no chance of winning the esteem of a being so powerful as Vaati.

Sure enough, he only chuckled, as if amused by the idea. "Idiot girl," he chided, and his tone might have made her angry if they hadn't sent chills down her spine—or if she hadn't been so shocked at his next words: "I never could have been sealed away like this if I still had it."

Zelda's heart almost stopped, and her eyes widened. "Then… where is it now?" she managed, voice faint and distant to her ears as her mind raced far ahead of her mouth; she no longer had time to reprimand herself for being caught off-guard. Every source she'd ever examined indicated that Vaati still possessed the Mage's Cap. If he didn't have it, how could she find it?

"I see no reason to tell you." Hope flickered once more in Zelda's heart, and her light expanded slightly, though the shadows remained inscrutable. If she could only get the information out of him somehow…

"If you do," Zelda announced, her voice gaining strength, "I'll draw this sword and set you free." The shadows stirred as if with renewed interest, and she felt Vaati's focus sharpen as if he were examining her more closely, more suspiciously. Oddly, the sensation was encouraging, and Zelda mustered a small smile: she'd gotten his attention, and that was the first step to earning his respect.

"Given a little more time," responded Vaati eventually, thoughtfully, his presence relaxing again, "I could break the seal on my own." As he spoke, his voice became lighter, smoother—more persuasive than intimidating—and Zelda narrowed her eyes. There was a silent but clear invitation in his tone: _make me an offer_.

"Then name your price," she said, crossing her arms and directing her eyes at the ground thoughtfully. Whatever Vaati requested, she would probably be able to convince him she could grant it. After all, as the crown princess, Zelda had spent most of her life cultivating an ability to persuasively tell people what they wanted to hear. (Lying, in other words.)

Vaati chuckled again, as if sensing her thoughts, and Zelda reminded herself too late that she was a guest in his mind. "To do so would be foolish," he pointed out, sounding much more amused than angry as she expected. "You are not bound to make good on any agreements between us."

Glowering, Zelda paced forward tentatively, feeling out with her mind, trying to locate the center of his consciousness so she could level the playing field by facing him—but he seemed to be formless, omniscient. "That's… true, I suppose," she acknowledged grudgingly, "but—"

"What would a human want with the Mage's Cap?" interrupted Vaati suspiciously, though there was a surprising undercurrent of dry curiosity in his voice. "I wasn't aware that any of your kind knew of its existence, let alone its true name."

Zelda bit her lip; it was high time she gave him a taste of his own medicine. It may be a risk, but she knew he couldn't destroy her in this form without great cost to himself. "I see no reason to tell you," she told him pointedly, wishing she could look him in the eye. All too aware of her unseemly insolence, she braced herself for the brunt of Vaati's infamous wrath… but he only laughed. (She frowned slightly: he acted nothing like the ballads proclaimed.)

"In any case," he smiled, his voice coiling unnervingly around her like a great dark snake, "my freedom for my cap is hardly an equal trade." Zelda squinted into the restless shadows, uncomfortably claustrophobic, and took a deep breath; she would actually have preferred overt displays of fury to subtle intimidation.

"What _would_ you consider a fair trade, then?" she asked, redirecting her abundant nervous energy into as ferocious a glare as possible. A breeze brushed past her ears, carrying whispers that might have been indistinct thoughts, before the winds stilled abruptly; the space around her seemed to become much cooler.

" _If_ you're so intent on bargaining," responded Vaati, "I want the Mage's Cap returned to me." He chuckled coldly, cynically. "Not that I believe for a moment you'll actually do it," he muttered, sounding almost as though he spoke only to himself.

Zelda raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips. "I can't give you the Mage's Cap in exchange for information on where to find it," growled Zelda, anxiety turning temporarily to annoyance. "That's just ridiculous." And inadvisable, she added, in thoughts she hoped were private.

"Indeed," agreed Vaati, suddenly serious. "But _telling_ you won't be necessary," he continued quietly, shadows shifting all around Zelda, and her light dimmed along with her courage, despite her best efforts to keep it up. "I can lead you to it."

And then keep it for himself so he could take over Lorule a second time? _No thank you_. "That's not exactly a fair trade, either," returned Zelda, crossing her arms and staring upwards. If the only payment he would accept was the Mage's Cap itself, there was no way she could lie about handing it over.

"No?" asked Vaati disinterestedly, his presence billowing away from her like a cape in the wind. "That's too bad."

Narrowing her eyes, Zelda contemplated the ways in which she could possibly hold his slippery attention. "I _could_ always take you captive and force the information out of you," she remarked, keeping her tone as light and conversational as possible, and he halted halfway through the sentence. It was best not to even try to intimidate him, she thought; he'd probably just laugh at her bravado anyway.

As soon as the last word left her mouth, Zelda's shadowy surroundings turned deathly cold, and she gave an involuntary gasp at the sudden shift in temperature. "Is that a threat, Princess?" asked Vaati softly, dangerously, the last syllable a menacing hiss. She shivered helplessly as a chill gripped her, but forced her heart to slow down.

"I prefer to use the word 'possibility'," Zelda corrected him, though she could not keep her voice from trembling slightly; Vaati's low laugh rumbled like thunder through dusky clouds. It was all too clear that he didn't believe her, which came as no surprise whatsoever; at this point, she felt more like a shy little girl than the authoritative princess she was supposed to be.

"I see," observed Vaati, the last remnants of his somewhat sinister laughter echoing gradually into silence. "Then we have nothing further to say to one another here." His presence retreated slowly, gliding away through the unfathomable darkness, and Zelda moved to pursue him, opening her mouth to protest—but she was forced to stop and protect herself as the scattered shadows swept around her, threatening to extinguish her flickering light.

When the dark smoke cleared, she could no longer sense Vaati's presence, nor even tell which way he had gone in this directionless void. Stamping her foot frustratedly, Zelda clenched her fists and thought a few choice curses as loudly as she could in the hopes of drawing him out: much to her dismay, nothing happened.

But just as she was about to admit defeat and let herself dissolve, a frigid breeze carried Vaati's final words to her ears, and she found herself shivering one last time: "You need only draw my sword to meet me face-to-face," he whispered, "and then, you can try to make those _possibilities_ a reality."

Zelda's physical eyes flew open in panic, and she immediately groaned and squeezed them shut again, unused to the sudden daylight. However, as she opened them again slowly, she found that the sky had actually clouded over—and if the ominous thunder rolling in the distance was anything to go by, a storm was coming.

A gentle touch on her shoulder distracted her; she jumped, glancing back to find Link steadying her with concern in his eyes. "Zel," he told her quietly, a hint of hope in his light voice; she hadn't realized how much she'd missed his presence until he spoke. "We don't have to do this."

She took a deep breath, clearing her mind, and shook her head determinedly, readjusting her grip on the hilt of the Picori Blade—glancing briefly up at the sky as the first few heavy drops of rain plummeted down. "Sorry, Link," she murmured, meeting her brother's disappointed eyes with some difficulty, "but… we've come too far to stop now."

Link only bowed his head, his red gaze hardening, and said nothing; Zelda struggled to suppress her guilt. Pacing around to the other side of the pedestal, he drew the Master Sword, which gleamed silver in the waning sunlight. Inhaling slowly, Zelda counted down from three on her fingers; the rain quickened and thickened, as though sensing her intent.

It was now or never…

She yanked upwards with all her strength, letting out a battle cry, and the world seemed to slow down. As though her body's actions were beyond her control, Zelda found herself raising the sword to the sky: a bolt of lightning surged into it as deafening thunder rattled her body and soul, drowning out her instinctive scream.

Even after the flash ebbed back into stormy darkness, the Picori Blade blazed blindingly bright in Zelda's trembling grasp, as though all its energy was stored within the blade. Its broken tip was replaced with crackling light; she wondered fleetingly how she was still alive after such a powerful strike.

Perhaps she had been spared because all its ample electrical energy seemed to be trapped inside the blade somehow? Adrenaline kicking in at the possibility of her imminent death by electrocution, Zelda tried desperately to unclench her fingers from around the hilt—but soon realized, as if in a nightmare, that she couldn't move: her muscles were locked in place against her will.

"Link!" she managed to cry, but her brother only focused on the sword in her hand, poised to attack should a more obvious threat present itself. He didn't have long to wait: the glowing energy seeped downward like melting liquid, spilling over Zelda's hands, and her eyes widened. It wasn't at all wet, but soft and warm; it felt _alive_ , a faint pulse like a heartbeat growing ever stronger within it.

It flowed down into open air like a sheet of molten light, but it didn't fall towards the earth as she expected; instead, it extended sideways, slowly shaping itself into an arm whose hand still grasped the hilt. Zelda jumped, startled, as she noticed the Master Sword slice through it; she had not noticed Link circling around—but the liquid only reconnected to itself, smooth and unbroken, as soon as the blade passed through.

Zelda thought she heard Vaati's distinctive laugh at her brother's failure, but it seemed higher in pitch now, less monstrous. Glaring frustratedly at his helplessness, Link kept his sword at the ready, watching carefully as the rest of a largely featureless Hylian body was formed; Zelda gasped as the liquid darkened to a deep purple from the fingers outward, becoming distinctly more solid.

In response to her involuntary utterance, Link plunged the Master Sword into where the figure's heart might be and held it there, unmoving; the world shook with thunder, as if in anger or warning, but the creative process was by no means halted. Red, gold, and lighter shades of violet rippled across the newly created body, twisting and turning into skin and markings, hair and eyes, garments and accessories.

Eventually, only the patch immediately surrounding the Master Sword remained in its original, semi-fluid state, and the rest of it had become a fully clothed male Hylian body—but Zelda's attention was more focused on relaxing her rigid muscles, to no avail. "Link," she grimaced, struggling to make herself heard over the thunder, "I don't think I'll be able to move… till you stand down."

Link narrowed his eyes as if considering his alternatives, but could think of none; he finally slid the sword out. As the last remnant of light finally darkened and solidified, all the strength went abruptly out of Zelda's limbs: dropping the sword, she collapsed onto her side with a weak cry, shaking from head to toe, and squeezed her eyes shut—but they flew open again as she registered a slick sort of sound, followed by a guttural gasp.

Through her unfocused gaze, Zelda first noticed the newly reborn Vaati (a blur of purple, gold, and red) clutching wide-eyed at the Master Sword, once again buried in his incomplete heart. He tried to stagger backwards, out of range—but Link caught him by the collar of his cape and dragged him closer, sliding the blade in to the hilt and twisting it slightly: he spasmed, but either could not or would not fight back.

Zelda's exhausted eyes closed suddenly without her consent, and as she tried to open them again, she felt her consciousness slipping away—but even as the darkness washed over her like the rain, she could still hear her brother's quiet and furious voice: "Don't you _ever_ ," snarled Link, "hurt Zelda like that again."

* * *

 _I know that seems like a super-easy boss battle, but you wouldn't be at your best either after centuries of being locked up in a metaphysical space… especially if you're facing twice as many enemies as you anticipated. Just imagine waking up from a weird dream and immediately afterwards getting the Master Sword stuck in your chest by some random stranger, and you'll get the idea. *shudder*_

 _Updating way sooner than I anticipated because a.) inspiration! and b.) now the third of the three main characters has had some screen time, so to speak, so this is closer to what the rest of the story will be like. As always, feedback is much appreciated! :)_


	3. Recovery

_Oh man, I meant to publish this so much earlier. I'd like to offer a formal apology to my absolutely infinitesimal following, because I included some clarification that hasn't made it to its addressee(s) till now…_

 _Anyway, for Guesty and anyone else confused, here's a concise summary of what's going on, most of which information is contained within the dialogue of the first chapter:_

 _Because Link and Zelda (of Hyrule) selflessly saved Lorule during the events of "A Link Between Worlds", Ravio and Hilda named their children after them. The Lorulean Triforce still exists because the wish restored it, and its presence gradually heals the land. However, this makes their daughter Zelda very nervous because the Sacred Realm seems to be easily accessible, which means it's left vulnerable. Thus, Zelda plans on using the power of the Mage's Cap to seal off the Sacred Realm, which will prevent anyone from accessing the Triforce._

 _Hope that helps!_

* * *

Zelda didn't realize she stood in a dream until she recognized her own body.

The world was moving so slowly it seemed frozen; Link's eyes were wide with fury, Vaati's with astonishment, as her brother planted his foot securely on his enemy's chest and kicked him backwards. As Zelda watched him slide the Master Sword out of the wind mage's body and stomp him into the ground, hard, everything sped back up to normal: she crept closer to the scene after a wary hesitation.

After ensuring that Vaati was not feigning unconsciousness—which he wasn't, to her simultaneous satisfaction and slight consternation—Link knelt next to his motionless sister, raising her wrist as if feeling for a pulse and soon smiling in relief. "Thank Hylia," he breathed, touching his forehead to her hand, then frowned as he glanced between her body and Vaati's. Zelda could practically hear his troubled thoughts: _now what_?

It took a moment for Link to determine the most effective method of transport as he paced around the shrine, but eventually, his expression brightened along with the gradually clearing sky. He hauled his sister's limp body onto his back, leaning forward to balance her as he used one hand to drag Vaati behind them by the cape.

Zelda scowled as she watched Link trudge back down the trail with herself and the ashen Vaati in tow, but she was far more worried than angry. Had her brother seriously killed their only chance of finding the Mage's Cap?

"Well played, Princess," purred Vaati's voice behind her, badly startling her, and she whirled around to find him leaning on the Picori Blade like some sort of cane. Zelda narrowed her eyes; apparently, his skin was deathly pale to begin with. It even seemed to be tinged violet, though perhaps that was just the eerie light of the fading storm.

They looked one another up and down, Zelda's confusion growing with her every observation. Was this really the same Vaati who had taken over her kingdom all those centuries ago? Standing about as tall as Link, but certainly no taller, he was surprisingly effeminate in his features, more slender than muscular. His hair was almost as long as Zelda's, but a good deal lighter in shade, covering his right eye (the left of which glimmered red); a strange black marking was emblazoned on his exposed cheekbone. The only distinctly _monstrous_ feature she could identify was his slightly pointed canines, and that wasn't especially intimidating.

Most disturbing was actually the fact that Vaati didn't look like the ghosts she'd spoken with in dreams before; he was decidedly solid, and his aura of aliveness strong—so he had survived after all, and was apparently contacting her telepathically. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen, but Zelda was inclined to think it was probably the latter.

"There's no need to look at me like that," remarked Vaati, raising his visible eyebrow coolly as he crossed his arms, and she realized suddenly that she was glaring at him. "I want to talk to you, and you haven't come to see me yet. This is as good a place as any for a meeting."

"No, it's not," she countered, clenching her fists. This was _her_ dream-space, and Vaati had absolutely no right to intrude; trying desperately not to think of her hypocrisy, having invaded his mind without his consent not too long ago, Zelda met his eyes as ferociously as she dared. "Go away!"

Vaati only raised his visible eyebrow. "If you insist," he shrugged after a brief pause, casually unsheathing the Picori Blade from its latest home in the mud. "But you can't avoid me forever, and you know it. I advise you not to keep me waiting much longer." He grinned wickedly, shifting the hilt in his hand, and Zelda cried out and jumped back as he lunged at her suddenly—

Her eyes shot open, and she sat bolt upright; looking around frantically, she noticed that Link was seated on the bed next to her, and took a deep, shuddering breath as she recognized that she was safe. "I'm fine," she told him immediately, but her voice sounded breathless even to herself, and Link nudged her down again with a light touch.

"Don't push yourself," he commanded with unusual intensity, concern weighing heavily in gentle red eyes. "Near as I can tell, Vaati used your energy as a catalyst for his resurrection. You're lucky to be alive right now, let alone awake." He cupped her hands in his; his palms were hot and moist, as though he'd been clenching his fists in worry.

"But… he wants to see me," protested Zelda weakly, pulling her hand away from his. Couldn't her brother understand how important this was? Mere mortals such as themselves were in _no_ position to delay this meeting; Vaati may have been in a weakened state, but he was still very much alive. "Where is he?"

"In the dungeons," Link told her, and she moved as quickly as she could, trying desperately to dodge past her brother and run for the door—but he caught both her wrists as soon as she started moving. " _No_ , no no no," he half-laughed humorlessly, "you're not getting up to see him right now."

Zelda narrowed her eyes, realizing for the first time how absolutely exhausted her brother looked; there were dark circles under his eyes, and even as she watched him, he barely stifled a yawn. "How long was I…?" she began, but his yawn was contagious, and she was cut off before she could finish the sentence.

"The rest of yesterday, and all last night," confessed Link; though he said nothing about whether he had stayed with her the whole time, Zelda strongly suspected he had. "Mother and Father are worried sick, but furious too." They both sighed heavily, sharing a small smile as they acknowledged their accidental simultaneity, but Link's brow furrowed again before too long. "Honestly," he admitted hesitantly, "I… I think you'll be lucky if you're still a princess when they're through with you."

Zelda blinked, startled. "That bad, huh?" she mumbled, closing her eyes defeatedly. _Oops_. Even her backup plan had involved at least being conscious enough to explain herself, which she was sure would mitigate her inevitable punishment at least a little. The way things had turned out instead… well, things weren't looking too good.

" _Yeah_ , that bad!" exclaimed Link, with surprising vehemence; Zelda flinched, and he took a deep breath, calming himself before continuing. "You almost got yourself killed bringing back the most dangerous demon in history, without _any_ explanation. I tried to talk to them, but they weren't exactly happy with me either." He leaned forward, hiding his face in his hands. "Oh, and by the way," he added bitterly, voice muffled slightly by his fingers, "he's also some kind of Houghini. No ordinary chains can hold him."

"I thought you said he was in the dungeons!" responded Zelda, eyes widening in alarm. As she scooted back gingerly to sit up again, her every muscle ached at the motion; she grimaced, but did not stop.

"He _is_ ," insisted Link, letting out a long breath, and dropped his hands back to his legs. "He's staying there voluntarily." He gave a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead. "We've all tried talking to him, even Father, but he's said that he won't meet with anyone… except you." Suspicion glimmered in his eyes, but he said nothing further.

"Then let me see him," responded Zelda. " _Please_ ," she begged, meeting Link's dull eyes desperately as she leaned back against the wall.

"Mother and Father said I should bring them here as soon as you awakened," countered Link, frowning, but there was a note of uncertainty in his voice. Clearly, if he hadn't already left to fetch their parents, he already had some doubts. (That, or he just knew she'd make a break for it in his absence.)

"Look, I may as well do all the things I'm going to get in trouble for _before_ I see them," reasoned Zelda exasperatedly. "That way, they can get mad at me for everything at once. Besides," she added, raising her voice slightly as Link opened his mouth to make some retort, "after I see Vaati… well, there may not be much of me left to yell at."

"For the love of Hylia, Zel, don't say that like it's nothing!" snapped Link, shoving her shoulder none too gently: Zelda yelped in pain as her muscles spasmed suddenly, and her brother looked momentarily sorry, withdrawing his hand and staring broodily at the floor. "You almost died," he muttered, half to himself. "You almost _died_ for the sake of a hat, and you're willing to do it again. Why…?"

Zelda took a deep breath, knowing she would never be able to answer to his satisfaction. If trying to protect the Triforce wasn't a good enough reason, she didn't know what to tell him. "Okay, I'm sorry," she muttered, after a long and extremely tense pause; Link glanced up in wordless acceptance of her apology, but quickly returned his gaze to the floor. (It was difficult to tell which was stonier.) "I shouldn't have said that. What I _mean_ is, Mother and Father will never let me see Vaati in the first place if I talk to them first."

"So give me three good reasons why _I_ should," challenged Link.

"You can come with me," she told him, but the end of the sentence turned up like a question. Ordinarily, she was a much better liar than this; had she just blown her own cover? She held her breath as Link narrowed his eyes in suspicious contemplation.

"…Okay," he conceded eventually, though he still didn't sound completely convinced—but even reluctant acceptance was still valid; Zelda inhaled again, relieved. "Two more."

"He told me not to keep him waiting in a threatening tone of voice," Zelda said, a little more confidently this time—possibly because this one was actually true. "It's _probably_ not a good idea to ignore him."

"Right," muttered Link, as if he'd prefer not to think about it too much. "One more?" She could feel the dread in her brother's words now, as though he sensed his imminent defeat—the same gloomy realization that weighed down his actions at the end of most of their duels.

Zelda pursed her lips. She had one last good point, but this one would only make Link worry more. "He's… not as strong as once he was," she decided uncomfortably, after a long pause. "The Mage's Cap is, well," she tried to explain, but shook her head and finished in a rush: "Apparently, it's gone missing."

The fury sparking in her brother's wide eyes seemed second only to his incredulity, and Zelda automatically flinched; she could count the times she'd seen him genuinely angry on one hand. "What?!" was the only word Link could utter, half-yelped, half-growled; he crossed his arms, tapping his fingers restlessly against his arm as if awaiting clarification.

"I _said_ ," began Zelda after a short pause, her traditional sarcastic response activating (as usual) in place of the explanation she could not offer—but her glaring brother was most definitely not amused.

"I _know_ what you said!" interrupted Link, scowling fiercely; uncrossing his arms, he leaned forward, meeting her eyes earnestly, and she shifted restlessly against the wall as if pinned there by his searching red gaze. "But," he continued urgently, "doesn't that mean releasing him was a waste of time?"

"Not at all," contradicted Zelda. "Vaati is still the only one who might know where the Mage's Cap actually is," she continued, a little more pointedly this time, "so can we just go to the dungeons and _ask_ him now?"

There was a brief pause, during which they continued their staring contest; Zelda quickly swallowed, looking away. As often as she won their duels, she could never hold Link's gaze in silence for longer than a few short moments; it was as if all the thoughts he did not voice were written within those vivid red irises.

"…Okay," muttered Link after an unbearably long pause; now it was Zelda's turn to stare at him as he got to his feet slowly, as if exhausted, and retrieved the Master Sword from the bedside table. Strapping the scabbard to his back, he whispered a few phrases that might have been a prayer—as though preparing for another battle. Zelda shivered; there was something eerie about such reverent sounds in the silence of daybreak.

Facing the bed again, Link finally threw back the covers, leaning forward so Zelda could curve an arm around his neck for added support. "I—I can't believe I'm saying this," he continued hesitantly, his words edged with a somewhat resigned sigh, "but… let's go talk to Vaati."

And, to Zelda's very great surprise, he braved a tiny smile as he picked her up.

* * *

"All right, put me down," commanded Zelda as they arrived at the spiral staircase extending down to the dungeons: Link halted abruptly, but swayed uncertainly in place, narrowing his eyes. "I can walk from here," she persisted, as persuasively as she could; her brother sighed and shook his head disbelievingly, but acquiesced.

The descent was far slower than Zelda anticipated; her legs didn't want to hold her, begging for bed, but she grit her teeth and forced herself to continue onwards. She was _not_ going to rely on her brother this time. Vaati had to understand that she was a force to be reckoned with, even on her own. The only problem, and it was a big one, was how to convince her brother to leave her alone with him.

As Link and Zelda rounded the corner, reaching the bottom of the stairs at last, the guards—clearly on edge, perhaps due to the nature of their latest prisoner—jumped and automatically clutched their pikes a little more tightly. They relaxed only when they observed the identities of their visitors, though the exact moment was hidden from Zelda like the guards' eyes behind their helms.

"I want to speak with the prisoner," announced Zelda as authoritatively as possible while still needing to lean against the wall for support. The guards exchanged an inscrutable glance, though she could not imagine how either could see the other's eyes.

"But, Your Highness—" began one of them tentatively, readjusting his grip on his spear.

" _Now_ ," snapped Zelda, crossing her arms warningly, and she didn't even need to threaten them: both guards jumped at her tone of voice and hastily moved to open the heavy wooden door. Narrowing her eyes as the guards fumbled with the keys, Zelda smiled faintly to herself, a new idea taking shape in her mind…

The sound of quick footsteps on the stairs distracted her, and Link rested his hand on the hilt of his sword… but relaxed slightly as a timid female voice spoke from the shadows. "Y-Your Highness?" asked a maidservant, stepping into the dim firelight, and Zelda grit her teeth, preparing for a lecture—but the girl had been addressing Link. _Perfect_ , she realized, struggling to suppress a smile.

"Her Majesty is getting… impatient," the diffident maid was saying softly, worried eyes flicking briefly in Zelda's direction before returning to her feet. "She tells me I should remind you that you are to fetch her, and the King, as soon as the Princess has awakened. She insists that there should be _no_ detours…"

"I know," responded Link, hiding his face in his hand in clear frustration. "I _know_. But, listen—"

Zelda smiled lopsidedly as the guards finally fit the correct key in the lock and pushed the door slightly open. As Link tried valiantly to translate his thoughts into speech on short notice, she stepped forward, taking a deep breath—and then, she let herself stumble, ignoring the guards' thankfully quiet remarks of concern. Clutching at the side of the door for support, Zelda subtly tugged out the key ring…

"Your Highness!" exclaimed the maidservant's frantic voice, and Link's gasp echoed in the hallway—but it was too late. As soon as Zelda passed through the crack, barely wide enough to accommodate her slender body, she shoved the door shut with all her might. The very instant after it was closed and locked behind her, Link crashed into it from the other side… but even his considerable strength, and that of the two guards, was no match for solid oak.

" _Zelda_!" he yelled, his voice sounding both desperate and furious through the high barred window, and pounded both his fists on the door once in apparent anguish; she smiled somewhat sadly, clutching the keys in her shaking fist.

"Sorry, Link," she panted, leaning against the door with racing heart and trembling limbs, and there was another dull _thud_ as though he had leaned his head against the door as well. "I've gotten you in enough trouble already." She paused, catching her breath, before another alarming thought struck her like lightning. "Did—did the maid run away?"

There was a tiny pause, perhaps while Link glanced backwards to check. "Yes," he groaned quietly, as if knowing what she would ask of him.

"Then go and catch her!" returned Zelda, hoping the magic word was evident in her voice. She couldn't afford to say more than necessary; in this situation, at least, it would be best to emulate her brother. The maid had undoubtedly gone to tattle on her, and it would be better for everyone if Zelda was allowed to talk to Vaati alone and uninterrupted.

"But—" began Link desperately.

" _Do it_!" she bellowed, and he growled something under his breath; she almost thought he would ignore her—but then his footsteps retreated in a hurry. Whether her brother intended to obey her or betray her, Zelda wasn't about to wait around to find out. Until then, she thought determinedly… well, it was time for another little talk with Vaati.


	4. Conversation and Confrontation

"Ah, Princess Zelda," remarked Vaati from the shadows, a smile in his voice: Zelda halted some distance away, unpleasantly reminded of her time in his soul. She could barely see him until he got to his feet and stepped to the front of his cell almost… regally. He bowed like any Lorulean Knight, fist closed over his heart—assuming he actually had one. "You honor me with your presence."

"I—I would have expected the Stormbringer to bring more of a storm," managed Zelda after a short pause, clenching her fists weakly (trying, with limited success, to prevent her hands from shaking). "I may be weak, but I'm still alive. Why is that, I wonder?"

When Vaati merely chuckled in response, Zelda couldn't help raising her eyebrows in confused surprise. She had anticipated that the ballads had been exaggerating about his character, but outright lying seemed far more likely at this point. Where was that _'temper as swift as a lightning bolt'_?

"Straight to business, eh?" he asked dryly, crossing his arms and tilting his head slightly. "You're nothing like your ancestors." He paused, offering her a faint white grin—showing off those slightly pointed cuspids. "Thankfully."

"I… don't know what you're talking about," responded Zelda, frowning.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't," acknowledged Vaati. "But I don't know why you think I was holding back," he continued, a somewhat sly smile touching his lips. "It's only natural that my darkness should falter amidst your relentless light."

"You flatter us, Lord Vaati," countered Zelda, employing what she had read to be his favored title; he dipped his head and closed his eyes briefly, clearly pleased, and she allowed herself a quick smile. "I think your capture has more to do with the loss of the Mage's Cap," she continued carefully.

Vaati looked up again suddenly, sharply, and Zelda's heart seemed to stop for a second, but she forced herself to continue. "Y-you said yourself that you could never have been locked away if you still had it. But even like this, you are far from powerless," she added, scrutinizing her prisoner through narrowed eyes. "Am I wrong?"

He grinned once more, this time reminiscently. "No."

"Yet… you're not using that power to escape," pressed Zelda, the tone of her sentence hovering between a question and a mere observation as her voice trembled along with the rest of her. Fortunately, Vaati seemed to understand.

"I would prefer to conserve my strength until I really need it," he explained, fingering the hilt of the Picori Blade: Zelda had not initially noticed its presence beneath his cape, and eyed him with new wariness. "The last few times I overestimated my abilities without the Mage's Cap at my disposal…" Vaati shook his head as he trailed off with a light sigh, still smiling, but his expression had lost its humor. "Those failures are the reason for your existence. Had I succeeded instead, the kingdom would still be mine."

Zelda blinked, full of new questions— _what did you try to do_?—but restrained herself with difficulty, resolving to adhere to her original purpose. "How did you lose the Mage's Cap, anyway?" she asked, shifting her weight from side to side nervously.

"I'm not so careless as to _lose_ my most precious possession," snapped Vaati, gripping the bars of his cell with both fists suddenly: Zelda jumped back, badly startled, and his countenance became smug as he continued more quietly, "It was stolen while I slept."

"Do you know who took it?" managed Zelda; try as she might, she could not persuade her feet to approach again, so settled for looking Vaati in the eye instead. It took every ounce of her limited strength, but she succeeded.

"I was… _felled_ the same day I realized it was gone," he admitted sourly after a short silence, releasing the bars and pacing back and forth. "Though I had my suspicions, there was no time to check them." Vaati sighed, pausing to glance over at Zelda as if to evaluate her expression, before resuming his restless motion. "My opportunity to reclaim it came once I rose again," he continued, the barest hint of a resentful snarl tugging at his lip. "However, I was prevented from doing so, as I had to suppress a rebellion at the time."

As Vaati spoke of long-ago events as if they were still fresh in his mind, Zelda realized as if for the first time that they had been born centuries or even millennia apart—yet here they both stood, in the same place at the same time, talking as if it were normal. He didn't even look more than a decade older than her… nor, she supposed, did he act like it. "Tell me who you think took it," demanded Zelda, as boldly as she dared.

Halting, Vaati raised an eyebrow, examining the irrepressible earnestness in her expression carefully. "If you know of the Mage's Cap," he began, leaning against the bars, "then you must know of the Minish." He glanced at her sideways, and something in his expression told her that he was suppressing genuine interest in her response.

Zelda took a deep breath. Of _course_ she'd heard of the Minish—though it had been quite a while since they had crossed her mind, despite their distant involvement in her current mission. After all, it had been they who first taught her about Vaati and his origins, long before her history lessons, and it had also been they who told her of the Mage's Cap in the first place. She bit her lip as memories of her old friends flooded her mind for the first time in what may well have been years…

It had been shortly after their fifth birthday that Link and Zelda had found the mysterious door in the courtyard, apparently invisible to all but themselves… and through this door emerged a multitude of tiny creatures, whom no one else seemed to see. Being young and curious, they'd wasted no time in hunting them—but when they finally caught some, they were pleasantly surprised to find that they could talk.

And talk they did. Over the next several years, Link and Zelda spent many long hours exchanging stories with the Minish in the hidden Elemental Sanctuary. They had once been called the Picori, they learned; however, the last time most had set foot in Lorule had been when the Triforce was obliterated during the Eldest War—with more and more emigrating every century since.

In turn, Link and Zelda told them what little they knew of their own history. Thus, it wasn't long before the name of a certain infamous wind sorcerer came up between them, and the Minish told them the fable of the Mage's Cap. _Don't take that which isn't yours_ , they warned. _Nothing good can come of greed._

It took a long time for Zelda to put two and two together, but upon sneaking into the Sacred Realm to catch a glimpse of the Triforce for her thirteenth birthday (Link refused to come along that time), she realized exactly how vulnerable it was—and, racking her brain for solutions, she happened upon the memory of the Mage's Cap. Such a powerful magical artifact would surely be able to seal away the Sacred Realm.

But then, the day after Zelda first spoke to them of her plan to save the Triforce, they all just… disappeared. Or so she thought; Link didn't believe her at first, pointing to empty space and insisting that they were right there, until both of them were on the brink of frustrated tears. (After that, she barely spoke to her brother, until finally he told her he couldn't see them either—close to a month later.)

Coming abruptly back to the present, Zelda took another moment to deliberate, trying to gauge what the 'right' answer was. Doubtless the truth would benefit her most; it was more a matter of how she should phrase it. "It would make sense if your people decided to take it back," she tried tentatively, in a attempt to corroborate his guess—but immediately flinched as Vaati turned his head abruptly to glare at her.

A chill ran through Zelda's entire body as she noticed his red eyes had widened in anger, gleaming eerily in the dusky light of dawn… almost as if glowing on their own. "They are _not_ my people, and they did not take it _back_!" he snarled. "That cap has always been mine, and mine alone," he insisted after a pause, more calmly. "I'm the only one who has ever worn it."

Zelda frowned, swallowing. That didn't quite line up with the stories the Minish had told her when she was a girl. "But… didn't the sage Ezlo—?"

" _Don't_ speak that old fool's name!" roared Vaati, and it felt to Zelda as though his words had turned her to stone: her muscles were so rigid in fear that she literally could not move for several seconds. (So _this_ was the sorcerer of whom the epics had told.) Apparently satisfied with this effect, his expression softened, and Zelda forced herself to relax. Unfortunately, she soon found that trembling head to toe was not much of an improvement.

"R-regardless of who its rightful owner is," she continued with an effort, "the Minish never told me whether they still have it—and I stopped being able to see them several years ago." She paused, somewhat resentfully, memories of frustration lingering at the edges of her mind. "When I was little, I swore I'd never let that happen, but…" Trailing off, she lifted her eyes to Vaati's face to find that he was smiling again, as serenely as if the outburst of a mere moment ago had never taken place.

"It seems your Minish friends no longer trust you," he said quietly, and his smile seemed to shift into a smirk.

"What?" demanded Zelda, attempting to steady herself and take a single step forward to prove that she was not afraid. But Vaati only chuckled, raising a hand somewhat delicately to his chin, and she froze again.

"Surely you didn't think the Minish simply became invisible?" he chortled. "No; the only reason you can't see them is because they don't want to be seen." He met her eyes, seemingly searching them, and Zelda struggled not to turn away under his careful scrutiny; it felt alarmingly as though he could see into her soul. "Alas, perhaps they believe that even your noble heart has become corrupted."

"Corrupted?" inquired Zelda faintly. That sounded altogether too much like the impurity of heart which would split the Triforce into pieces; she took a moment to thank the goddess in which she did not believe that she had not tried to use its wish. Though by no means did she trust Vaati, she could not help but see the potential truth in his words; it was almost like an instinct.

"Typically, the Minish choose to show themselves only to those with pure souls, still capable of seeing the wonder in the world—most commonly, children," explained Vaati coolly, examining his fingernails as though bored. "You, fair maiden, have lost that precious innocence forever."

As he looked up again, grinning wickedly, Zelda blinked, taken aback despite herself. For the most part, he had been civil enough during their conversation that she found herself unprepared for the cruel glint in his eyes; even when he had been angry with her, he had not seemed so purposely sadistic. "How could you _ever_ have been one of them?" she wondered somewhat sadly, half to herself.

Vaati chuckled. "You have no idea how often I've asked myself the same question."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Zelda couldn't suppress a slight roll of her eyes. "Regardless," she persisted, " _if_ we assume you're right and the Minish have the Mage's Cap, I still can't see them anymore, so—"

"So you'll need my help," finished Vaati, cutting her off smoothly. "Hence why I must show and not tell," he added, with barely noticeable condescension, as though explaining something complicated to a child. Despite being mildly offended, Zelda chose to ignore this; it hadn't seemed deliberate—more like he was simply accustomed to superiority.

"But I'll be a hundred and five before the Minish Door opens again," countered Zelda. Even if they were miraculously able to sidestep the fact that the Minish were now invisible to her, which she still doubted, there was no way to overcome time. It was as much a constant as the space in which they lived.

"With the right instruments at hand, time shouldn't prove much of an obstacle," remarked Vaati casually, as if reading her thoughts exactly.

"What do you mean?" asked Zelda, narrowing her eyes—curiosity momentarily overriding her nervousness.

Vaati gave a single laugh in response, crossing his arms, and looked her up and down with scorching scorn in his every feature; his eyes gleamed once more in the faint light. "I shouldn't have to teach a princess about her own mythology," he said, derisively.

" _Explain_ ," commanded Zelda, with the little intensity as she could muster. Vaati merely raised his head a little higher to look down at her, evidently unimpressed, and she thought he would refuse—but then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully, like he had found a reason to cooperate, and Zelda wasn't sure whether the thought was more heartening or disquieting.

"There is supposedly a powerful magical artifact which should, in theory, enable its bearer to travel through time to a point in history when the Minish Gate is open," he admitted eventually, examining her countenance carefully as it brightened somewhat. "The Ocarina of Time."

"And I suppose I'll have to find it before I can find the Mage's Cap?" clarified Zelda, crossing her arms. Now, if only she could find a way to ditch Vaati and visit the Minish on her own somehow, she might actually stand a fighting chance of seeing her mission through to the end.

"Assuming it still exists, yes," laughed Vaati. "And finding the instrument is only half the problem," he continued before she could react, grin widening as Zelda scowled. "To manipulate the flow of time, one must also play a specific song… but it was an old one even during my reign, and I doubt whether anyone remembers it anymore."

"This is ridiculous," muttered Zelda, glaring at the ground as she finally grasped the true difficulty of the task given her. "How am I supposed to find an instrument that may or may not exist and play a song no one knows to find a hat the Minish _might_ have taken?! I don't even play the ocarina in the first place!"

"For the love of power, stop _whining_ ," growled Vaati, tapping his fingers on his arm as if warningly; Zelda jumped at his sudden shift in mood, resolving to keep a closer eye on his expression from now on. Goddess, he was as changeable as the winds he commanded! "You're not the one in a cage."

"I may as well be," retorted Zelda, choosing with some difficulty not to mention that he could get out anytime he wished, and squinted down at her boots, trying desperately to think of some sort of shortcut—but she couldn't focus while she could Vaati's burning eyes still lingered upon her face. "This is impossible," she decided after a brief pause, looking up at him again.

"No wonder the Minish abandoned you," chided Vaati, another smile playing on his lips. "Didn't they ever try to teach you that old lie? That a positive attitude attracts a positive outcome?" He shook his head, laughing. "Even ignoring the laws of magnetism, that's still—"

"Zelda!" called Link's somewhat muffled voice from a distance, and she turned around sharply. "They're here, and they're not happy!" Her eyes widened, a jolt of alarm thrilling through her like lightning, and she noticed in her peripheral vision that Vaati looked vaguely annoyed at her doubtless agitated expression.

"How is it that he can startle you just as much as I can?" he muttered, apparently resentful, but Zelda cut him off. There wasn't space in the conversation for stupid questions like that; it was of paramount importance that she learned everything she could today, because Hylia knew when she'd get another chance.

"We're out of time," she told him urgently, glancing backwards as a great crashing noise sounded repeatedly from the corridor—seemingly louder every time. Even an oaken door couldn't stand forever, if someone was determined enough to break it down. "Anything _else_ I should know?" she added, wincing as she heard the door beginning to splinter.

Vaati gave a light sigh; a gentle breeze seemed to waft through the dungeons, oddly refreshing. "Not yet," was his aggravating response, though he himself was perfectly calm as he gave it, and Zelda glowered at him… but there was no time to argue.

"Will you stay here?" she asked him.

"Until I have recovered, yes," replied Vaati, raising his eyebrows as if surprised at the question. "And then, you're on your own."

"And so are you," returned Zelda, and her adversary's eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth to reply—but any response he might have given was drowned out by the thunder of the door finally giving way, and multiple sets of footsteps hurrying down the stairs… accompanied by the clank of heavy armor.

She couldn't help but smile slightly at the sound; if the guards were coming to apprehend her for treason, they'd only have to take back their keys, open the cell door, and push her about six feet forward. But as the footsteps halted, Zelda froze at the sound of an unexpected and far too familiar voice, snapping through the shadows: " _What_ _are you_ _doing_?!"

She turned around slowly, wide-eyed, to find the Queen herself glaring at her with all the wrath of a goddess incarnate—gripping her staff so tightly that Zelda was certain that her knuckles would be white if they had been visible beneath her usual gloves. "M-Mother, I'm _fine_ ," coughed Zelda by way of protest, but she simply stepped past her daughter furiously to face Vaati.

"My, the family resemblance _is_ strong," he remarked. "Though the girl is lovelier still than you," he added slyly, and Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Your favored consort must be very handsome." Judging from Vaati's laugh a moment later, his comment had the desired effect, but Zelda felt rooted to the floor, unable to turn and see her mother's expression.

The quality of the ensuing silence told her that it was clearly not a happy one. "Stay away from my daughter," snarled the Queen eventually, and Zelda jumped as sharp fingernails dug into her shoulder even through two layers of fabric, steering her towards the stairway: she stumbled forward hollowly. She could easily have withstood any punishment the guards saw fit to give her—but a confrontation with her _mother_? This was the end.

"I'm in prison, you know," pointed out Vaati, a grin in his voice, and the Queen halted abruptly, Zelda swaying in place. "You should be telling your daughter to stay away from _me_." Though her jaw tightened still further, the Queen evidently decided a response was not required. She merely marched onward after a brief pause, seemingly with an effort, and swept Zelda along with her.

"You, young lady," hissed her mother, barely audible over the tramp of the guards behind them, "have a _lot_ of explaining to do."


End file.
